Page turning device



y May i4; 1957 w. R. BRENNEKE 2,791,849

PAGE TURNING DEVICE l Filed Nov. B. 1956 T PII. 1 3

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United States Patent F PAGE TURNING DEVICE Wayne R. Brenneke, Anderson, Ind.

Application November 8, 1956, Serial No. 621,147

4 Claims. (Cl. 40-104) r[lhis invention relates to 4a page turning device, and more particularly to one for use by paralyzed or otherwise incapacitated people in turning the pages of a book, magazine or the like.

Heretofore the person incapacitated to such an extent as to be unable to use his larms or hands has been at a serious disadvantage insofar `as reading is concerned, and more particularly insofar -as the mechanics of turning the pages of a book or magazine 'are concerned. lt has been necessary for such people to rely upon others to do the reading or at least to turn the pages. It is, therefore, the primary object of the present invention to provide a device of such character and construction that even the most seriously incapacitated Iand paralyzed person may readily and easily cause the pages to be turned.

It is =a still further object of the present invention to provide a device of the character described which is relatively economioal in price :and has ia minimum number of working parts.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and 'the following description and claims:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view with the cover removed, of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation view thereof with a side of the housing removed.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section view taken on lines 3-3 of Fig. l in the direction of the arrows.

In the drawings the housing is provided for the mechanism. An opening 11 is formed in the upper wall 12 of the housing to permit the arm or section 13 of the suction tube 14 to be passed therethrough. A second opening 15 is provided in the top of the housing to enable the column 16 having "a rotating arrn 17 to be passed therethrough.

The suction tube includes the elongated portion 18 which is connected to the suction fan housing 19, the fan (not shown) within the housing being driven by the motor 20. The fan housing and motor are pivotally connected at 21 to the opposed, upwardly extending brackets 22. These brackets are secured to the bottom 23 of the housing through the medium of the screws 24 or other suitable means.

The elongated portion of the suction tube assembly rests intermediate its ends upon the -elevating `and lowering cam 25 mounted 4on the shaft 26. With the turning of the cam by motor 27 (also connected to the bottom of the housing by screws 28 or other suitable media) the mouth 14a of the suction tube is elevated or lowered with respect to the top of the housing upon which will be resting `a magazine, ra book or other reading material (not shown). and :arranged that the mouth of the tube will be bnought into abutment with the upper right-hand corner of the right-hand page of the book, magazine or the like, when the assembly is in its lowermost position as determined by the cam 'and gravity.

The shaft also causes the column 16 to rotate and with The suction tube assembly is so constructed 2,791 ,849 Patented May 14, 1957 it the page turning or rotating arm. This is accomplished through the provision of miter gears 29 and 30 which are in mesh yand connected respectively to shaft 26 and column 16. lt is desirable that the rotating arm be of such a |length as to come in under the mouth of the suction tube, in order to turn the pages from right to left in the proper fashion and manner. Because of this fact it is, of course, imperative that the construction and arrangement ofthe suction tube assembly yand of the page turning assembly be such that the mouth of the suction tube is elevated to a point above the plane of the page turning arm at the time that the arm is traversing the area of the suction tube. That is to say, it is imperative that the suction tube be elevated to enable the arm to pass under it in -a free and unobstructed fashion.

In use the page turning arm will normally first be at rest in the general position shown in Fig. l with the mouth of the suction tube at a point lower than the plane of that arm as shown in Fig. 2. ln order to enable the paralyzed or otherwise incapacitated person to sta-rt the mechanism a pressure pad may be provided, such pad being in effect a switch, the momentary closing of which by-passes microswitch 32.

By applying slight pressure to this pad, as is known, the shaft 26 may be turned a suiiicient `amount to enable the cam 31 to actuate the microswitch 32. The cam 31 is also connected to the shaft 26 and at a point adjacent the elevating and lowering cam. Once the user has actuated tfhe microswitch lthe motors 20 `and 27 will themselves be started. Motor 27 will drive the shaft 26 through the medium `of the miter gears `and the column 16 will be rotated, turning with it its page turning arm. While this is occuring the elevating and lowering cam will permit the suction tube mouth portion to be llowered into -abutment with the page of the book or magazine being read. Further rotation of the shaft 26 will elevate the suction tube thereby lifting the upper right-hand corner of the page. The suction tube will be elevated as aforesaid, to a point -above the plane traversed by the page turning arm which itself will be rotated in under the page, engaging it and turning it from right to left. Once the `arm is returned to the position shown in Fig. l the page will have been turned and the cycle completed. That is to say, the cam 31 will have been rotated to a point where the microswitch is olf.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only the preferred embodiment has been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within t-he spirit of the invention and the scope of the claims are also desired to be protected.

The invention claimed is:

1. A page turning device comprising a housing upon which a book, magazine or the like may be positioned, ya suction tube nrOunted within said housing and including at one end an upwardly directed portion extending through the upper wall of said housing `and terminating in a mouth, said tube being connected at its other end to a suction fan assembly including a motor, a pair of upstanding spaced brackets secured to the bottom of said housing, said yother end of the tube being pivotally connected to said brackets, ya shaft mounted within said housing at substantially right yangles to said tube, a second motor driving said shaft, an upstanding column extending through the upper wall of said housing `and terminating at its upper end in a page turning arm disposed at right angles to `said column and movable in a plane parallel to the upper wall of said housing, means connecting said column and said shaft for rotating said column upon the actuation of said second motor, and a tube elevating and lowering cam Vmounted -nsaid shaft, said tube resting upon-said cam andfelevated or permitted tol'owerthereby upon the rotation of said shaft whereby said mouth of the tube is rst moved downwardly into engagement with theright-hand page of abooltor magazine positioned on said housing and then upwardly carrying said page with it from which position said page is turned from right to left by said page turning arm.

2. Apage turning device comprising a housing, Van elongated suction tube mounted within said housing and having at vone end an upstanding portion extending through the upper wall of said housing, said portion terminat-ing in a downwardly directed mouth, the other end of said tube being connected toa suction fan assembly including a motor,1neans securedfto Vsaid housing and pivotally supportingsaid other end of Ythe tube, a shaft mounted within said housing at right angles to said tube and intersectingtherewith, Va second motor driving said shaft, a rotating collunnrextending upwardly through the upper wall ,of said housing and terminating in a right angularly disposed page turning yarm that is movable circularly in ay plane parallel to the upper walltof said housing, means connectingsaid column and said shaft for rotating said Vcolumn and arm upon the actuation of said second motor, and a cam carried by said shaft upon which said tube is seated, wherebyupon the yactuation of said second motor said tube is moved to a first position wherein the mouth thereof is in engagement with the page vofa book or magazine positioned upon the upper wall of said housing to a second position wherein the mouth of the tube and the page fare in an upwardly spaced position from said upper vwall, saidfpage being turned from right to left by saidrarm.

3. A page turning device comprising Aa housing, an elongated element mounted within said housing and having `at one end an upwardly directed por-tion extending through the upper wall 'of said housing and terminating in a downwardly facing mout-h, suction means associated with said mouth, la pair of brackets secured to said housing, the other end of said tube being pivotally connected therewithpa shaft mounted withinV saidhousing Vat right angles to said tube and intersecting therewith, Va motor vavai-7849 driving said shaft, a rotating column extending through the upperwall ofsaid housing and terminating ina page turning arm that is movable 'therewith in a circular plane parallel to the upper wall of said housing, means connecting said column and said shaft whereby said column and arm are rotated upon the actuation of said motor, and an elevating and lowering cam carried by said shaft, said element resting upon saidcamfat a point intermediate its opposite ends whereby upon Ythe rotation of said shaft by said motor the mouth of said element is moved first into engagement with the page of :a book positioned upon the upper wall of said housing and second to a position wherein said mouth and said page vare in spaced vertical relation to said housing,` said rotating arm being engageable with said page for turning it from right to left.

4. A page turning device comprising a housing, an elongated element mounted in said housing and having at one end an upturned portion extending through the upper wall of said Ihousing `and terminating in aldepending mouth, the other end of said element being pivotally connected to said housing, 1a shaft mounted .within said housing at right anglesto said element and intersecting therewith, a rotatable column extending upwardly through the upper wall of said housing and carrying a right :angularly disposed page turning vlarm movable therewith in a circular plane parallel to the upper wall of said housing, means connecting said column and said shaft for rotating said column and said .arm upon the actuation of said motor, an elevating and lowering cam carried by said shaft, said element resting upon said cam at a point intermediate the opposite ends of said element whereby upon the turning of said shaft the mouth of said element is moved to 'a rst position in engagement with the page of a book or magazine resting upon the upper wall of said housing to a second position in spaced relation to said upper wall within the path of movement of said page turning arm, a microswitch mounted within said housing, and a second cam carried by said shaft and engageable with said switch for actuating ls-aid motor to turn said page turning arm one complete cycle.

No references cited. 

